July 8, 2012

At the beginning of nearly every screenwriting book is a brief resume.  An introduction detailing the authors experience that establishes credibility before you even get to chapter one.  Many have written screenplays that became movies.  Some have won the industry’s highest awards.  Others have mentored thousands of writer’s along the way.  They are professionals, readers, teachers and producers.  They are screenwriters.  I know this because I’ve read virtually every screenwriting book I could get my hands on over the years.

Because I want to write good screenplays.

I think it’s important to establish my credentials because I really don’t have any.  What gives me the right to write about screenwriting?  I don’t have an agent or a produced credit.  I’ve never had a script optioned and currently there are no meetings scheduled.  So why read?  What’s my goal with this blog now that I’ve re-committed to a craft that has inspired me for decades?

Inspiration.

I’m just like you.  I’m a writer looking for my voice.  I’m a storyteller in search of a story.  I’m a screenwriter too.  If I could narrow it down to a single goal it would be to reach one reader.  Someone out there who is blocked, struggling or unmotivated.  I’ve been there more often than I’d care to admit.  But…  This blog is a place to for me to admit it.

• This is a blog for screenwriters who can’t seem find time to write.
• For screenwriters who have made excuses in the past.
• For creative minds who struggle to find an original tale.
• For those with unfinished screenplays on the shelf.
• With unprinted epics on their hard drives.
• This blog is for people who pour their heart and soul into every word.
• I want to learn from you too.  Because I know I still need a lot of work.
• I want to be a better writer.  A passionate writer.

I’m not an expert when it comes to screenwriting.  I just love to write screenplays.  So do you.  So do millions of people around the world.  They are all out there now writing their masterpieces.

What I have to offer is dedication and a passion for movies, screenwriting and independent film.

That’s what this blog is.

The movies that inspire the screenwriter within.

July 12, 2012

The Athletic half of my blog’s name comes from my career in television.  I’m obsessed with sports and equally passionate about editing live television shows.  I’m also a big fan of playing basketball and if it wasn’t for a knee injury, I would have been on a court once a week over the last year.  On the flip side, I love to write screenplays and surround myself with movies on a daily basis.  I’m a proud film nerd.

Stereotypes suggest that I shouldn’t be a crier because I’m a sports guy.  Screw it, I wrote a scene this morning and cried my brains out.  There I said it!  I don’t feel bad.

This morning I tackled one of the final scenes in my new screenplay and it got to me.  It’s an extremely emotional conversation between two people that love each other very much.  Most of the movie builds up to this one conversation and the second I finished the last line of dialogue, my emotions overflowed.

I think a lot of it had to do with the journey I’ve been on personally for the last few years.  Screenwriting is my therapy.  It’s my way keep stress at bay.

XTRA | Screenwriting vs Anxiety

I’m happy when I’m writing.  I loved developing and writing this story for the last couple months.   I’ve had so much fun with the characters I’ve created and I’m almost done!  I’ll probably finish the last scene later today.

All of this combined inspired the tears that fell today.  I’m happy I did.  If I didn’t care, how could I possibly expect a reader to care?  You have to be invested in your story.  I’ve started so many concepts over the years and never followed through.   It’s been a long time since I felt this strongly about my writing.

I’ve written tons about the guilt I feel when I don’t write.  Yet for the last few years, I haven’t written that much.  I’m beginning to understand why and I’ve realized my writing will never be the same.  I’m a better writer because I’ve been pushing myself.  If anything, it’s a little disheartening that I waited so long to shut up, sit down and write screenplays. Thankfully, that’s a mistake I don’t have to live with anymore and I feel like my little cry proved it.

I cried today because I love to write screenplays.  It was a perfect storm of sadness and pride.  An emotional mix of passion and a sense of accomplishment.

And I’m not even done yet!

Screenwriters, have you ever written yourself to tears?

That was a great day.

As a side update, I’m happy to report my knee is fully healed now (I hope) and I’ll be on the court again in a week!  So to recap, I’m playing sports again, I love my job and the new screenplay is going well.  The lesson?  Always push yourself.

June 29, 2012

One month ago, I announced that I would be scaling down the content on The Athletic Nerd for the summer.  In doing so, I gave myself 3 months to relax, get married and write new screenplays.

Well…  It’s been a month and looking back I’m happy to report it was a worthwhile decision.    Before I decided to put my side projects on hold to write, I was still finishing scripts.  I just wasn’t finishing FEATURE length screenplays.  Banging off a couple short films every month was fun but I felt like my screenwriting journey had stalled.

28 years old.  No writing credits.  No screenplays optioned.  No agent.  Most importantly, no new screenplays to even consider submitting.

SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE

I feel like this last month has taught me just how much screenwriting means to me.  No matter what the future holds, I love to tell stories.  Nearly every morning, I wake up and write.  It’s like I just discovered screenwriting all over again.

To think, all I had to do was ACTUALLY write screenplays.  I’ve written a TON of articles about screenwriting on this blog but I only have 1 feature in 2 years to show for it.  Granted, I also produced a bunch of short films and launched 5 websites.  Those projects were fun but writing screenplays is my passion.

Not only am I making progress on my new script, I’m also thinking ahead.  My screenwriting goals have been reorganized.  I now have specific milestones to reach and the determination to reach them.

In short, June was a fun month.

I’m now about two weeks away from completed the first draft of my new screenplay.  I know the where my story is headed and it’s just a matter of getting the work done.   If I’ve learned anything in the last month it’s this:

LOVING SCREENWRITING IS NOT THE SAME THING AS WRITING SCREENPLAYS

True, you need both to write something you can be proud of but there is a very clear difference.  I spent way too much time professing my addiction to the craft instead of practicing and improving my skills.   These are difficult things to admit to yourself but seriously…  Who was I trying to fool?  I certainly wasn’t fooling myself.  Quite the contrary.  I felt guilty about not writing yet never sat down to write anything.

I know what you’re thinking…

This guy is nearly 30 and he’s just realizing this now?

Absolutely right.  This is something I should have figured out years ago but I was preoccupied with other things.  I’m just a screenwriter now and I’m loving every minute of it.  And so, a month into my SUMMER OF SCREENWRITING, I now have a tagline to add:

SIT DOWN, SHUT UP & WRITE SCREENPLAYS

Time flies.  That first month was easily the most productive screenwriting month I’ve ever had.  The momentum has definitely continued as I’m still actively developing my next script.  I started writing certain scenes but I’ll be honest, I’m stuck.

The concept I have in mind extremely challenging to pull off as my main character is completely unlikeable and selfish.  It’s my job to redeem this awful person.  That’s the challenge I’ve set out for myself but every time I think I’ve made progress, another character reminds me of what he’s done in the past.  My character tumbles back to the lonely pit that is rock bottom.

It’s sounds like I’m frustrated but I’m actually having a lot of fun trying to create character moments that show he’s trying to make amends.

Months ago, I challenged myself to write screenplays and it worked.  I followed through with a meaningful promise to myself.  Now it’s up to me to keep this momentum going.

XTRA | Screenwriting vs Anxiety

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Screenwriting is my passion. I love writing and I love movies.  It’s an addiction.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve searched for ways to express myself creatively.  Screenwriting just fit so easily.  I’ve been obsessed ever since.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking more and more about my overall body of work and decided it was time to expand.  So I’ve set some pretty ambitious goals over the course of the next year.  Basically, I’ve challenged myself to be better.  To learn more.  To write more.

This thought process inspired me to sit down and really think about why I love to write screenplays.

It isn’t a complete list by any means but it does represent an important idea.

Screenwriting means something different for anyone who has ever loved movies enough to give it a shot.

Here’s a small look at some simple things that remind me why I love screenwriting so much:

1. The first time I saw the screenplay format and decided to try it.
2. Watching movies that make me feel like writing.
3. Feeling inspired.
4. Being excited about a new story.
5. The freedom to come up with new ideas.
6. Launching Final Draft.
7. Typing FADE IN:
8. Writing just because I can.
9. Finding that one thing that ties the entire story together.
10. Designing a title page.
11. Writing ‘trailers’ before I start a screenplay.
12. ‘Photoshopping’ posters for new stories.
13. Sitting somewhere quiet with a blank notebook and my imagination.
14. Perfecting the opening scene.
15. Keeping stories secret until they are finished.
16. Finishing an outline and gearing up to start writing.
17. Changing my furniture around whenever I start a new script.
18. Finishing a first draft and then spending countless hours perfecting it.
19. The rewriting process.
20. Thinking about the little details.
21. Writing good conversations.
22. Losing track of time while I write.
23. Writing about screenwriting.
24. Making play lists of songs that remind me of the story I’m working on.
25. Getting up early to write.
26. Staying up late to write.
27. Pulling all nighters.
28. Creating cool villains.
29. Creating cool heroes.
30. Creating interesting supporting characters.
31. Building inside jokes into scripts.
32. Introducing new characters.
33. Describing locations that no one has ever seen.
34. Incorporating obscure references.
35. Making up words and terms.
36. Using white space to my advantage.
37. Creative transitions between scenes.
38. Bringing old characters into new stories.
39. Writing confrontations and arguments.
40. Powering through writer’s block.
41. Revisiting old ideas.
42. Making a change that makes the story better.
43. Reading screenwriting books.
44. Losing sleep because I have to write something down.
45. Reading my old scripts.
46. Reading screenwriting blogs.
47. Reading produced hollywood screenplays.
48. Knowing a characters decisions instinctively because you just know.
49. Thinking of titles that have more than one meaning.
50. Catching a mistake the spell checker missed.
51. Writing on my iPhone.
52. Printing out a finished script.
53. Being terrified to show people my work and getting over it.
54. Surprising myself.
55. Typing THE END.
56. Finishing a script and immediately starting work on a new one!

There’s literally thousands of little moments you experience when you are writing. It’s impossible to collect them all in one place.  These are just a few of the reasons why I’ll never stop writing movies.  It’s too much fun.